From: BurmaNet ------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------ "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News: August 17, 1995 THE NATION: CHAVALIT READIES FOR BURMA VISIT WITH BORDER TRIP BKK POST: DEPT BLAMES THAIS FOR MURDER OF BURMESE FISHERMEN BKK POST: MOVE TO HEAD OFF ROW WITH BURMA ---------------------------------------------------------- Produced with the support of the Burma Information Group (B.I.G). The BurmaNet News is an electronic newspaper covering Burma. Articles from newspapers, magazines, newsletters, the wire services and the Internet as well as original material are published. The BurmaNet News is e-mailed directly to subscribers and is also distributed via the soc.culture.burma and seasia-l mailing lists and is also available via the reg.burma conference on the APC networks. 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Sutcliffe" World Wide Web: FreeBurma@POBox.com Volunteering: Dr. Christina Fink c/o burmanet@igc.apc.org [Feel free to suggest more areas of coverage] ---------------------------------------------------------- ===== item ===== CHAVALIT READIES FOR BURMA VISIT WITH BORDER TRIP 17 AUGUST 1995, The Nation Defence Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh will make a one-day trip to northern Mae Sot tomorrow to study the problems along the Thai-Burmese border which have strained relations between the two countries. The trip will be a fact-finding mission in preparation for Chavalit's scheduled visit to Burma on Sept 1, during which he will try to mend Thai-Burmese relations. Chavalit, also deputy prime minister, will be accompanied by Assistant Army Chief Gen Chettha Thanajaro, and together they will attend a briefing given by the Army's Task Force 34 in Mae Sot. The Army plans to televise Chavalit's trip via satellite to Army headquarters in Bangkok, where reporters could ask the minister on-the-spot questions. The one-hour press conference is scheduled for 12 pm. Chavalit, who has established close ties with the leaders of the Burmese military junta, rescheduled the meeting of the Defence Council from Friday to today, giving him time to study all of the border problems before his trip. In Mae Sot, meanwhile, Karen guerrilla leader Gen Bo Mya last Sunday met a group of Karen mediators sent from Rangoon by the junta to investigate the possibility of peace talks to end the armed conflict between the two groups. Thai military sources, who declined to reveal the content of the one-hour meeting, quoted Bo Mya as urging the junta, known as the State Law and Order Restoration Council, to first halt its mili tary operation against the Karen National Union. The guerrilla leader then asked Slorc to withdraw its forces from KNU-controlled areas before both sides begin a peace dialogue. Bo Mya, according to the sources, met the three mediators at a KNU base opposite Thailand's Umphang district in Tak province. The three mediators were identified as U Khun Myint, U Thun Aung Sin, a former professor at Rangoon University, and Aye Soe Min, a former Karen MP during the reign of the Burmese Socialist Programme Party. The sources said after losing their Manerplaw headquarters and other strongholds to Rangoon, the KNU lost some of its bargaining power and has been forced to drop conditions for entering into peace talks with Slorc. Dissident Burmese student leader Naing Aung said his organiza tion, the All Burma Students' Democratic Front, understood the KNU's need to enter into peace talks with Slorc. But he warned that any talks which do not encompass a political solution to the ethnic conflict would not bring about a lasting peace. The Thai sources said the KNU finished a central committee meet ing last Friday and would begin a Congress meeting either yester day or today. The central committee meeting proceeded very slowly because of the unsettled issue of a new KNU leadership, added the sources. While younger Karen leaders wanted their seniors to step down, the current leaders were still arguing they wanted to maintain their positions. The sources said Bo Mya had requested that he retain the para mount leadership until he had successfully concluded peace nego tiations with Slorc. Bo Mya would then voluntarily step down. However, the Karen army chief, Gen Tamalabaw, has quit the posi tion and been replaced by the KNU's Sixth Brigade commander Gen Shwe Sai, who was earlier tipped to succeed Bo Mya. (TN) ===== item ===== DEPT BLAMES THAIS FOR MURDER OF BURMESE FISHERMEN 17 AUGUST 1995, Bangkok Post The Fishery Department has confirmed a report that Thai fishermen were behind the brutal killing of at least six Burmese crewmen on a Thai fishing vessel. According to the least report released by the Fishery Department, six bodies of the Burmese have been found while nine others are still missing after Thai crewmen allegedly carried out the murder on August 6. The incident occurred after Burmese authorities boarded the JV 44 owned by the Myanmar-Narong Company, an affiliate of Narong Canning Company. Narong Canning co-invested with Burma's Fishery Department to form Myanmar Narong. Burmese authorities took away 10 Burmese nationals for interroga tion following complaints about alleged violations of the fishing agreement between Thailand and Burma. The report said Burmese fishermen informed their authorities that Narong Canning Company had unloaded fish onto other Thai vessels before arriving at port to distribute half the amount of fish caught to Burmese officials. After the authorities left the vessel, a group of Thai fishermen allegedly began assaulting 18 Burmese seamen. Plodprasop Suraswadi, the Fishery Department director general, said he had received confirmation from various agencies including the Army, the Thai Embassy in Burma, Ranong provincial officials and his department's investigation team that a group of Thai fishermen were responsible for killing the Burmese crewmen. The murder took place on board the JV 44, he said. Although there was no concrete evidence to identify the guilty parties, the Narong Canning Company, owned by Narong Phibunpattana, must be held accountable for the incident because the murder allegedly happened on the company's fishing vessel. "It is a matter that deals with human lives and the company should show consideration for the families of the dead instead of shirking its responsibility," said Mr Plodprasop. The company, he claimed, was also reluctant to allow the Fishery Department to check its fishing licence. Also the company never informed the department it had employed foreign fishermen on its vessels. Thai companies under the fishing agreement are barred from sell ing or giving fish to other companies. Burmese authorities normally allow Burmese fishermen 25 days a month to work on Thai vessels and for Thai companies to fish in Burmese waters. The bilateral relationship between the two countries will be damaged unless the Thai Government shows sincerity in solving the problem based on fairness and justice. Issuing a warrant for the arrest of the suspects is one way of assuring Burma that Thailand has no intention of distorting the facts behind the murder in order to help its own people. Mr Narong earlier denied that his company owned the JV 44, saying the trawler was among a fleet of 48 rented trawlers used by Myanmar Narong Company. Surachet Ungkasuphong, Narong Canning assistant derector, dis missed reports his company was involved in the brutal killing, saying it was the result of a personal conflict between Thai and Burmese seamen. Deputy Agricultural and Cooperatives Minister Monthon Kraiwatnusorn, who said companies wanting ti fish over seas from now on have to obtain Fishery Department permission and give details of fishing agreements made with their partners. There are many illegal fishermen among the 4000 or so Thai crew men fishing oversea, according to Mr Surachet, who oversees the Fishery Department. He and group of Foreign Ministry officials will mediate in the fishing row to clear up any misunderstanding between the Thai private sector and the Burmese Government. Agricultural Minster Montri Pongpanich said he would consult with the Interior and Defence ministers on how to sort out growing tension between the two countries. "Violation of the fishing agreement will not develop into such a big matter if we have maintained close friendship with the Bur mese Government. Instead of improving relations with the Govern ment, we seem to be seeking connection with its opponents," he said. (BP) ===== item ===== MOVE TO HEAD OFF ROW WITH BURMA 17 AUGUST 1995, Bangkok Post PRIME Minister Banhan Slipa-archa has prepared a message for his Burmese counterpart to confirm Thailand's stance in clearing up the murder of Burmese seamen in an effort to curb intensifying border hostility. Mr Banhan said the message will be delivered to the Burmese Government by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh who is due for an official visit to that country early next month. Foreign Ministry representative have gone to Burma to attend a ministry-level meeting with Burma's Political Department director-general to discuss the murder which is likely to develop into a major international political row, possibly leading to a confrontation between Thailand and Burma. The Prime Minister's statement was made amid streams of conflict ing accounts on the murder case released by various related agencies including the Burmese Embassy. The stories quoted by Interior Ministry sources and the Burmese Embassy were different in terms of the number of crewmen killed and missing but both concluded that Thai fishermen of Narong Canning Co had carry out the killing. According to the Ministry, the Thai fishermen become infuriated after learning that Burmese crewmen had informed the Burmese authorities they had illegal communications equipment which was later seized. They later allegedly killed four Burmese crewmen. Based on the embassy's account, the Thai fishermen had broken the fishing agreement by taking in the kind of marine animals which they were not allowed to catch. Burmese crewmen reported this to Burmese crewmen reported this to Burmese authorities which de manded an inspection of the Thai vessel. Angry that the Burmese seamen had failed to keep a tight lip, the Thai fishermen began assaulting 18 of them. At least five of them were brutally beaten and thrown over broad. The murder reportedly prompted the Burmese authorities to tempo rarily close down the passage between Victoria Point and Ranong. The travel ban is still effective. The Thai government and Defence Ministry have set up fact-finding committees to investigate the incident in the hope of quickly "clearing the air" to prevent the matter from getting out of hand. Mr Banharn said he had instructed local authorities in Ranong to impose stricter measure to force Thai fishermen to strictly follow the fishing law. The problem, if left unabated, will certainly hurt the relationship with Burma. The Government has sent a team of delegates from the Foreign Ministry to Burma in the hope of finding ways to ease tension arising from the murder case, said the prime minister in response to questions on how he planned to settle the growing conflict between the two countries which is likely to deteriorate. He maintained the Government has not been passive in pressing for the capture of the suspects. So far, the police have arrested many suspects and accomplices and they have all been questioned. The Prime Minister gave his personal assurance the related agen cies including the Foreign Ministry have done their best to remedy the border problem. He expressed confidence Gen Chavalit's official visit to Burma would help cool down the degree of hos tility and improve the border situation. Mr Banharn said he has assigned Deputy Interior Minister Surachet to go to Ranong to look more closely into the problem. Mr Surachet yesterday arrived in Ranong to listern to a summary of the incident and progress made in the investigation. He later visited Narong Canning Co to inspect the vessel JV 44 where the murder was believed to have taken place. The fishing boat was seized as evidence. The case has destabilised relations between the two countries. Mr Surachet said he has instructed provincial police to step up efforts toward s arresting all 11 suspects. It was reported the owner of Narong Canning Co was required to pay compensation for damage resulting from the killing to Burmese authorities. This is seen as one way of putting a cap on the heated border conflict. Gen Chavalit stressed the importance of resolving the murder problem in a transparent manner to restore Burma's trust. The murderers must face stern legal action. The Government did not order a prompt investigation into the murder just so he could travel to Burma "with ease," said the defence minister. The Army has, for a long time, maintained strong ties with its Burmese counterpart. The Government is hoping to forge better relations with Burma at the local level. There must be measure to deal with companies which only look for opportunities to take advantage by exhausting the natural re sources of neighbouring countries. "Trouble-makers must be wiped out," he said. Gen Chavalit declined to comment on speculation that some senior officials gaining huge benefits from the border trade have caused the investigation into the case to be delayed. He opposed the idea of permanently cutting ties between the two countries. He refused to elaborate on details of his visit to Burma. It was reported the murder incident was urgently added to the agenda of his visit . He foresaw no problem in raising the problem with the Burmese Government because he is acquainted with many high-rank ing Burmese officials. Gen Chavalit was confident the talks would be "smooth" but said people should not expect too much from his visit. Assistance Army Commander-in-Chief Chetha Thanacharo said the case was not likely to affect Thai-Burma elations because Thai land ha tried to quicken the pace of the investigation. He downplayed the border closure order, saying Burma reserved the right to shut down the border pass if it felt there was still uncertainly in the murder incident. "It is impossible that a personal conflict between a handful of people would have negative effect on Thai-Burma relations," said Chetha. He said minor incident happen all the time along the border and in the water. Thailand has tried its best to solve the problem. Meanwhile, Thai tourists and businessmen have been barred from crossing into Victoria Point, halting the normally bustling border trade. (BP)